Who chooses K-12 school curriculum? Cedar Rapids school board candidates weigh in

Editor’s note: This article is part of The Gazette’s coverage leading up to the Nov. 7 city and school elections.

CEDAR RAPIDS — As state lawmakers pass bills that limit classroom instruction, Cedar Rapids school board candidates weigh in on how they think K-12 schools should choose — and implement — curriculum.

There are nine candidates vying for four seats in the Cedar Rapids Community School Board in the Nov. 7 election. The seven-member board serves about 15,700 students in the district, and board members are not paid.

All voters within the district may cast ballots in all three races. Incumbents are noted with (i).

Five candidates are running for two at-large seats:

Two candidates are running for the District 1 seat:

Two candidates are running for the District 4 seat:

The Gazette asked candidates in a questionnaire how curriculum should be determined, who is responsible for implementing it and if they had any concerns about curriculum currently being used in the Cedar Rapids district.

Cindy Garlock

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Curriculum should align to national and state standards, which should be determined by professional educators and developed and implemented by a classroom teacher, Garlock said.

"Our teachers are trained professionals with expertise in curriculum appropriate to the age level they teach, and their knowledge should be respected and sought out in making curriculum decisions,“ Garlock said. ”The Iowa State Legislature has chosen to insert itself into educational and curriculum decisions. I believe that those decisions best be left to the professionals in the classroom who have extensive training and expertise in age appropriate instructional materials. Although we must honor the Iowa state code, I believe our teaching professionals are best qualified to be making decisions about curriculum and appropriate classroom materials.“

Jen Neumann

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Neumann agrees curriculum should be determined by the Iowa Department of Education and local school administrators with input from educators.

“I always want to see us push for innovative educational opportunities. I don’t have any concerns with our curriculum, but want to ensure we are properly resourced to deliver on it,” she said.

Don Taylor

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Taylor said teachers and school officials should use “best practices” and do “diligent research” in determining classroom curriculum.

“Most curriculum concerns stem from poor choices made by the state legislature and our governor,” Taylor said. “They seem to limit learning opportunities. This problem needs to be addressed by creative alternatives that work around the political limitations that are put on public education.”

Barclay Woerner

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Woerner advocates for parents and families to be a part of deciding curriculum used in their children’s classrooms.

“They should be able to review the textbooks, additional reading materials and surveys that will be a part of their child’s education,” Woerner said. “By restricting access to textbooks, the district is preventing parents from having a clear understanding of what is being taught to their children, which has lead to a growing distrust between parents and teachers.”

Under a state law, Senate File 496, school districts in Iowa are required to have policies allowing parents, guardians or residents of the district to “review the instructional materials used in classrooms in the school district.”

Dexter Merschbrock

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Merschbrock believes the process of choosing and implementing curriculum is working well. “Professionals propose and develop curriculum based on the best available information, and the community approves it through the democratic processes put in place through the board of directors,” he said. “Community involvement is necessary but should defer to professionals in most cases. The loudest voices and campaigns to exclude people and subjects from schools altogether should be addressed head on and rejected.”

Kaitlyn Byers

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Byers agrees that educators should be trusted to develop and implement curriculum “that is effective and relevant to each grade level.” She said that if elected, she will encourage diverse literature and ensure schools are “safe places where every student is treated with respect and feels included.”

“As it stands, the time that our district’s staff members are potentially spending on sorting out what can and cannot be taught is quite concerning,” Byers said. “The school board will always follow laws set forth by our state, but we can still be mindful of these new requirements and continue to assist in the development of high-quality, inclusive and safe learning experiences for our students.”

David Tominsky

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Tominsky also said he “trusts educators.”

“When I have a question about my children’s education, I know I can connect directly with our teachers to learn more,” Tominsky said. The Cedar Rapids Community School District’s office of Learning and Leadership ensures that “guaranteed and viable curriculum” is implemented, he said.

Stacie Johnson

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Johnson said she trusts school officials with “developing, re-evaluating and implementing” school curriculum. “However, in my experience, there is too much oversight from the district administration,” she said. “I believe teachers and support staff should have the freedom to bring in fresh, creative ideas without fear of penalties in our current top-down educational system.”

Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com